By Bukola Alao and Ologeh Joseph Chibu
Kidnapped pupils of Apostolic Faith Nursery and Primary School remain in captive as at Saturday morning, the Union of students in the ancient town has said.
There were widespread reports late night on Friday that the pupils were released and taken to the Palace of the Elemure of Emure Ekiti.
But the National Association of Emure Local Government Students Union in a statement made available to Irohinoodua said the pupils are yet to be released as at Saturday morning.
The confusing reports about their release were not unconnected with the crowd of locals who traditionally mill around the Palace
“There was an unusual surge on Friday evening with a lot of people including children leading to wrong but positive assumptions that the pupils have regained their freedom”, Alaba Faluyi, a member of Ekiti Vigilante group told Irohinoodua
The National Association of Emure Local Government Students Union said it mobilised its members to the Palace but discovered the pupils are yet to regain freedom.
The statement was signed by the Caretaker Chairman, Comrade Adebayo Mayowa,Caretaker General Secretary, Comrade Abayomi Samuel and the Public Relations Officer,Comrade Bello Samuel.
The National Association of Emure Local Government Students Union Leaderships said it expresses grave concern over the proliferation of false information within the student and the entire Local Government and strongly urges everyone’s to exercise caution in disseminating information in the face of obvious public enthusiasm.
The Association leadership also appealed to everyone to be calm.
The caretaker Chairman, Hon. Comrade Adedayo Mayowa said it took proactive measures by visiting the Nigeria Police Station, Emure Divisional HQ, seeking clarity.
The association said the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) promptly mobilized a patrol to Elemure Palace, ultimately confirming that the pupils were yet to be released.
The students extended commendation to the security forces for their rapid and effective intervention.
“We salute the collaborative efforts of the Emure Local Government, State Government, and Federal Government for their efforts so far.“`
“We believe in the power of collective prayer, and we implore everyone to join hands in praying for the safe return of our fellow student’s. The voice of Man is indeed the Voice of God, and through our collective efforts, we can overcome these challenges and emphasizes the importance of responsible information sharing and calls on all students to prioritize accuracy, unity, and the well-being of the entire community.